Head of School of Life Sciences

Job Title: Head of School of Life Sciences
Location: Cambridge
Salary: Competitive
Job type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing Date: 05/11/2025
About ARU:
ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
ARU's research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK's Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK's leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.
About the Role:
The Faculty of Science and Engineering combines a strong and active research culture with excellence in learning and teaching. Our Faculty is the largest in ARU with over 8,500 students studying worldwide. The Faculty comprises 530 staff across disciplines that include engineering, architecture, animal sciences, psychology, life sciences and computing. We are proud of our ongoing work to support an inclusive culture in the Faculty.
The Faculty holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award for its commitment to gender equality in STEMM education and research. The University holds a Bronze Race Quality Charter.
You will join our School of Life Sciences, working with academics delivering high quality teaching and research in Forensic Science, Crime and Investigative Studies, Biomedical Science, and Animal and Environmental Biology. Our academic staff deliver a range of employer informed undergraduate and postgraduate courses accredited by various professional bodies, including the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology.
The school has recently established a new Centre for Ecology, Evolution and the Environment which is undertaking world-leading blue-sky and applied research to understand and provide innovative solutions to urgent and complex global issues facing natural ecosystems and human societies, addressing multiple UN sustainable development goals.
As the Head of School for Life Sciences and Faculty Executive Team member, you will have responsibility for the development and delivery of new ambitious plans for refreshing the school's course portfolio, achieving growth in student recruitment and external research income, and driving rapid improvement in student experience & student outcomes. As a respected leader in your field, you will leverage new and existing partnerships to ensure that the school plays a full role in supporting the UK's Life Sciences sector.
This is a significant leadership role, offering an opportunity to shape the School's direction during an important period of development. You will bring to this role your academic standing in Biomedical Science or a relevant discipline with previous experience of leading Life Science disciplines, and demonstrate a track record of developing market-informed courses with excellent student experience and student outcomes.
As a collaboraive and inclusive leader, you will have a proven ability to empower others and foster a community where diverse voices are heard and valued, and in which teaching, research, and student experience can flourish.
We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits including a generous holiday entitlement, occupational pension schemes, training and development opportunities, travel to work scheme and a competitive relocation package.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.
We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
We have a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.
Committed to being inclusive and open to discuss flexible working.
Please click on the APPLY button where you will be redirected to our website where you can find out more about this opportunity.
Candidates with the experience or relevant job titles of: Head of Department (HoD) of Biology, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, or Director of the School of Life Sciences, will also be considered for this role